Pet food that tastes good and does good
As the global population of pets continues to rise, so too does the environmental impact of pet food production. From the sourcing of ingredients to manufacturing, packaging, and distribution, the pet food industry contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion, habitat destruction and creates an ever growing pile of plastic waste.
But we can make more sustainable choices about how we feed our pets.
I've been on a sustainability journey since 2008, when I won a Sustainable Business Network award for the changes that my team and I made in my two Nelson veterinary clinics. One of my key frustrations back then was the lack of premium quality, New Zealand made pet food that placed sustainability at it's core.
So I created Genius. Because I reckon that we can be a whole lot smarter about how we make pet food.
Thoughtfully sourced ingredients
At Genius we think very carefully about the ingredients that go into our products. Our aim is to source as many of our ingredients as possible from New Zealand.
For our Ocean Fish flavour dog food we use offcuts from New Zealand King Salmon that formerly went to landfill. These offcuts contain some of the most nutritious, omega 3 rich parts of the fish.
We're particularly excited about our new Koi Carp treats. Koi Carp are a pest fish species which are spreading throughout the North Island affecting the quality of our waterways. Making them into dog treats helps to cover the cost of their removal from our waterways.
Made in Aotearoa
Most premium pet food in New Zealand is imported from overseas - which is pretty crazy given that we are a major food producing nation! My pet hate is seeing our quality proteins exported overseas and then sent back to us by some multinational pet food company.
Genius is made right here in Aotearoa, cutting the carbon miles associated with importing pet food. The factories that make our food and treats also benefit from using New Zealand's renewable energy network.
We reckon Kiwi dogs deserve Kiwi made pet food!
Recyclable Packaging
Our new 2.5kg bags are made from recyclable material and are able to be recycled through the New Zealand Soft Plastic recycling scheme. Simply rinse and dry your 2.5kg bag and place it in the bin at one of the many participating retailers nationwide. You can find a list on the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme website
We're working on moving our existing 9kg packaging and our treat and sample packaging to fully recyclable material. We aim to have all our products in recyclable packaging by the end of 2025.